Ants!
by Lieutenant Caine
Summary: Calleigh is terrified of ants.  K for now...Story now COMPLETE. Please read Author's Note.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N Once again Athena refuses to be placated and thus a sixth story has been birthed...sigh. She does keep me busy at times. Enjoy. **

**H**

**Ants**

Calleigh stepped down out of the Hummer in front of the ramshackle house on the deserted street and did a quick visual inspection of the place as she moved to the back of the vehicle to retrieve her field kit. The sidewalk was spider webbed with cracks and grass grew unchecked in the crevasses of the concrete. The lawn was overgrown and rank with tall weeds and small sprouts on their way to becoming shrubs if left to their own whims. A trailing tendril of what had once been a bougainvillea plant snaked across the big picture window, leaves and blooms drooping in the early morning humidity. Several of the terra cotta tiles had fallen from the roof and lay smashed to pieces on the front walk. The hurricane shutters were loose and one of them creaked noisily in the slight breeze that stirred the air.

"Quite a picture isn't it?"

Horatio's voice startled her out of her reverie and she stifled a gasp.

"I didn't even hear you drive up, Horatio. Yes it is a picture. Looks like a prime candidate for that extreme home remodeling show."

"Hmm…well the house is a picture too." He smiled and winked at Calleigh's surprised expression, walking ahead of her toward the front door of the dilapidated house.

Calleigh followed close behind, smiling in quiet pleasure. The relationship between her and the head of CSI had taken a decidedly more casual turn lately and she enjoyed the banter that bubbled up unexpectedly at times. It was not often that Horatio slid in such an openly flirtatious comment, but on occasion when they were alone on a call out, he did so with perfect aplomb, never breaking stride in his professional behavior.

Horatio knocked on the door and called out "Miami-Dade PD. is anyone home?"

Silence met his voice and he tried again. "Mr. Darlett, this is Lieutenant Horatio Caine of the Miami-Dade Police. May we come in?"

No response was forthcoming to this second query and Horatio took a cautious step back, weighing his options. He then reached for the doorknob and tried it carefully. The door was unlocked and swung open at his touch. A quick look at Calleigh and he readied his weapon.

"Ready?" he asked softly. At her nod he brought his gun up into position and stepped through the open door into the shadowy foyer of the home. Calleigh followed one step behind him, her field kit in one hand and her .45 in the other.

Moving in perfect tandem, they entered the living room and then each took different directions, Horatio moving toward the hall and Calleigh walking quietly toward the kitchen.

"Miami-Dade PD," she called out, her voice loud in the stillness of the air.

Horatio's voice echoed hers down the hall. "Miami Dade Police. Mr. Darlett?"

Her quick inspection of the kitchen gave no evidence of anyone home so she called out "Clear."

"We're clear here too." Horatio answered from the back portion of the home.

Having established the fact that no one was home, Calleigh began a more thorough visual assessment of the house and realized that the inside was no less untidy than the outside. The dining room table was inhabited by a half eaten meal that wore a coat of green fuzz. The salt and pepper shakes were toppled over onto their sides, the contents spilling out in a crazy pattern of black and white. A used and discarded linen napkin lay crumpled by the crusted plate. Serving dishes sat half full with what had once been food but now closely resembled a science project gone terribly wrong.

The kitchen proper was no better. The floor was littered with empty pop cans and foil pastry wrappers. Dishes tilted crazily this way and that in the sink and the counter was all but invisible under the stacks of corroded pots and pans that threatened to collapse at any moment. Spying a small open area of countertop, Calleigh holstered her weapon and gingerly set her field kit down on the marble surface.

"What a shame to let a house go like this." She muttered under her breath as she moved slowly about the area. Her steps took her toward the center island and her sharp CSI-trained eyes caught sight of what looked like the bloodstained handle of a butcher knife. Returning to her field kit she opened it and took out gloves and slid them on. As she did, her elbow brushed slightly against one of the leaning towers of cookware, sending it crashing to the floor. What happened next came straight out of a horror movie. The countertop came alive with thousands of scurrying, squirming, six-legged insects, the sight of which struck absolute terror into Calleigh's heart. Ants! Before she could move her hand away, hundreds of them swarmed up over her fingers and along her arm, covering her in a living moving garment of waving antenna and scratching legs. The tiny creatures scurried up the side of her neck and over her face and into her long silken hair before she could make a sound, but when the sound did escape it was one long scream of blood curdling terror.

Horatio had never before heard such a chilling sound and he immediately sprinted in the direction of Calleigh's voice.

"Calleigh! Calleigh! What happened!"

The sight that met his eyes was terrifying. Calleigh stood in the middle of the kitchen floor, screaming, her face and neck and hair, indeed the entire right side of her body crawling with a mass of small black ants.

Jerking off his coat, Horatio rushed toward her and used it to brush off the ants covering Calleigh's face and neck and then used his hand to knock away the ones lingering on her bare arm. After several seconds he succeded in removing most of the insects, but some of them evaded his efforts and scurried inside Calleigh's clothing sending tremors of revulsion racing through her.

A panicked plea answered his mental question whether she was good to stay at the scene. "Get me...get me out of here..."

"Hang in there, Sweetheart. We'll get you out of here in a second."

He hastily pulled his phone from his pocket and pressed one of the speed dial numbers. "Frank? Horatio. I need you to come secure a scene for me. I need to get Calleigh away from here. Thanks Frank."

"Here we go, Sweetheart." Horatio placed a protective arm around Calleigh's slender waist and led her out to his Hummer. He kept talking quietly to her till he saw Frank arrive in his unmarked cruiser. The big detective walked over and quirked one eyebrow at the obviously shaken blonde huddling in Horatio's embrace.

"I'm taking her home, Frank. She's had quite a jolt. Secure this scene for me."

"You got it, H."

Turning then, Horatio helped a still trembling Calleigh up into the passenger seat and then sprinted around to the driver's side and vaulted into the the seat. With a soft purr the engine sprang to life and Horatio directed the Hummer away from the crime scene and toward home.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

The ride home was silent save for the whimpers and small cries emanating from the passenger seat of the Hummer. Horatio risked a glance as he drove and his heart jolted painfully at the sight of his usually strong, fearless ballistics expert reduced to a ball of abject terror by something so simple as ants. Yes, he knew that her phobia of ants was listed in her personnel file as pertinent information, but he never realized just how deep her fear of them ran until this incident brought it out in shocking detail. The look on her face at the crime scene had been one of indescribable fear.

"Hang in there, Sweetheart," he spoke soothingly to her, hoping to penetrate the shroud of fear that seemed to have taken hold of her ability to function rationally. "Hang on, we're almost home."

Two blocks from the condo, Calleigh moaned, "Please, hurry, Horatio. Hurry. They're in my clothes, and my hair, I can feel them…"

Her breath came more rapidly and her eyes widened as she spoke, and Horatio floored the accelerator, sending the Hummer careening around the corner toward his condo. The mammoth SUV skidded to a halt and Horatio killed the engine and vaulted from the driver's seat. Sprinting around to her side, he jerked the door open and helped her out, talking soothingly the entire time.

"Shhhh, Sweetheart. We're home. We're gonna get you into the shower and get them all off. Come on. This way." And he led her up the walk. Quickly he unlocked the front door and ushered her inside, stopping only to make sure it was locked behind them before he escorted her to the master bathroom.

The moment he opened the bathroom door for her, Calleigh began peeling her clothes off before he even had a chance to show her where the towels and washcloths were. For a split second, the possible awkwardness of their situation intruded in his mind, but he brushed it aside. Calleigh was in dire straits. The last thing on her mind at the moment was modesty. He moved quietly about the room, pulling down an oversized washcloth and towel from the cabinet and placing them on the counter for her. While she was stripping off her underwear, which seemed to be relatively free of the unwanted creatures, he turned his back to her and reached into the glass shower enclosure, turning on the water and setting the temperature to a soothing warmth. He was unprepared for the vision in front of him when he turned back around.

Calleigh stood trembling before him, totally nude, and Horatio gulped in a breath at her loveliness. A faint buzzing in his brain signaled that he desperately needed to release the breath he was holding and he blew it out with a gusty sound.

" Ahh…if you need anything else, Cal I'll be in the kitchen," he said and fled the bathroom in what was dangerously close to an all out run.

With his heart pounding and his breath rivaling that of a steam engine, Horatio paced the kitchen trying with little success to calm the responses of his body. Finally he growled in frustration with himself, opened the cabinet doors and jerked down a large coffee mug. Stalking over to the sink he filled it with water and set it in the microwave hastily, slopping water over the side as he did so. His fingers stabbed at the controls to heat the water and then he rummaged in the pantry for the instant coffee that he hated, but kept for just such occasions when he needed a jolt but didn't have time for his usual 6-cup pot of fresh brewed coffee. The microwave beeped its signal when the water was hot and he retrieved the cup and spooned a horrendous amount of the instant coffee into it, stirred it and took a big swig. The bitter liquid scalded his tongue and he grimaced but forced himself to swallow anyway. After another slightly more cautious sip of the thick black coffee, he settled himself at the kitchen table with the intent of draining the contents of the cup.

Half way through the cup, he groaned as he realized his attempt at diversion was definitely not working. He had only to close his eyes and he could see her plain as day standing in front of him wearing nothing but a frightened expression. How he had longed to take her into his arms and kiss away her fears, personally inspect every inch of that satiny soft skin and assure her lovingly that there were no ants, nothing to be afraid of, nothing to feel but his touch. The only thing that had held him back was the knowledge that he would have been taking advantage of her had he followed his impulses.

"Damn those, ants!" he muttered to the empty kitchen.

*******  
Calleigh stepped out of the shower and reached for the towel that Horatio had set out for her. Wrapping it around her body she shivered at the lingering phantom sensation of millions of tiny legs crawling all over her. Just the thought of the little creatures turned her breath into shallow gasps and set her heart to galloping at breakneck speed once again.

_Come on, girl get a grip. __They're just ants…get over it. _She argued with herself. _Yeah just ants and they terrify me. _

Desperately she tried to calm her heartbeat, to no avail. Her hands clenched frantically at the towel and she bit her lip to keep from screaming in fear. She shook her head back and forth and still couldn't rid herself of the feel of the small black insects as they had swarmed up her arm and all over her face and neck and down her back at the crime scene. Finally fear won out over her valiant effort at bravery.

"Horatio! Horatio, help me…they're all over me…"

Her panicked cry brought him to the bathroom door at a dead run. Not stopping to observe manners he simply flung it wide open without knocking. Calleigh stood there in the middle of the bathroom floor, eyes wide with panic, breath coming in ragged gasps and her face flushed in terror. Instantly he was at her side, reaching out his hands and drawing her into his arms.

"Shhh…Sweetheart. It's okay. There are no ants on you. Look, Calleigh. You just showered. There's nothing on your skin but water. Shhhhh."

"I can still feel them," she moaned, burying her face in his chest. "Get them off me, Horatio, please get them off me."

A gentle shake accompanied his words this time. "Calleigh, listen to me Sweetheart. There are no ants on you now."

"But I can feel them," she whimpered again, making scratching motions with her hand as if trying to knock away the non-existent ants.

Catching her hands in his to keep her from marking her soft skin, Horatio spoke softly to her, "Do you think another shower would help, Sweetheart?"

"Yes. Will you wash me this time to make sure they are all gone?"

Horatio realized that she was so far into her terror response that she didn't really know what she was asking of him.

"Calleigh…I don't…I don't know if that's wise. How about I sit here and wait until you finish and then I'll check when you get out to make sure you didn't miss any this time."

"No. Please. You wash me. That way I know they'll all be gone."

"Calleigh…" the thought of showering with her was making his body respond in a manner far from professional and he fought it valiantly.

"Please, Horatio…get them off me…"

The scared little girl look in her eyes tugged at his heart and he heaved a reluctant sigh. Shaking his head with the certain knowledge that he was about to make a very big mistake he finally nodded his head in agreement, "Okay…You get back in and I'll join you in a moment."


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Calleigh shuddered as warm water streamed over her skin with a sensation frighteningly similar to that of the crawling ants. Tremors ran through her body and a tiny moan slipped from her trembling lips. Leaning her head against the shower wall, she squeezed her eyes closed as tightly as she could and tried to control her fear. Tears slipped down her face and dripped from her chin, mixing with the water as it ran over her shoulders and down her body. It was this scene that greeted Horatio when he at last opened the shower door and stepped in beside her. And it was this scene that broke his iron resolve to be as hands off as possible. Murmuring with concern, he drew her into his arms and held her close.

"Shhh…don't cry, Sweetheart. We'll take care of the ants. I'll get them all off you, just relax and trust me."

Calleigh nestled closer to him and wrapped her arms around his waist, drawing comfort from his nearness.

He'd known it would be difficult to be with her like this without responding, but he hadn't counted on just how difficult. Here was the absolute embodiment of his dreams cuddled naked and warm and soft in his arms and he couldn't allow himself to take what he so desperately wanted. Forcing himself to ignore the desire screaming through his veins, he loosened his arms slightly and looked down at her.

"Calleigh, are you ready to wash?" His voice was velvet soft, a caress.

"Yes," came her muffled reply. Slowly then she stepped back and waited for him to begin.

The look on her face pulled mightily at his heartstrings but he resisted. _No, you will not take advantage of her like this, Horatio Caine,_ he berated himself.

Needing a distraction desperately, he grabbed the shampoo bottle and opened it, pouring a good portion of the thick liquid into the palm of his hand. At once the fragrance mixed with the heat and steam of the shower adding yet another strata to the already multiple layers of sensation he was fighting. The sight of her fear-dazed eyes, the sound of her trembling voice, the touch of her soft, wet skin; all combined to make his battle to stay un-aroused an exercise in futility.

Rather more roughly than he intended he turned her away from him and began to work the shampoo into the wet golden mass, his fingers massaging her scalp firmly and surely. He closed his eyes to shut out the tempting sight of her in front of him and then was treated to the exquisite torture of her quiet murmurs of pleasure as he worked the lather through her hair. Her head lolled back against his chest and he felt the bands of his control begin to snap.

"Time to rinse," he said hastily.

Closing both hands over her shoulders he moved her away from his body as hastily as he could without seeming to shove her away, knowing that to let her stay that close was tempting fate.

Calleigh stood quietly under the water, letting the stinging spray rinse away the suds, unaware of the fierce internal battle Horatio was waging with himself.

Horatio stood watching her, feeling his pulse rate climb and his breathing quicken and knew he was losing the battle with his desires. His only hope was to finish and finish quickly before he caved in altogether. He clenched his teeth, set his jaw and reached for the washcloth still hanging on the hook by the shower door. Just as he poured shower gel onto the cloth and worked it into a rich creamy lather, Calleigh spoke softly.

"There's one on my shoulder, Horatio. Please get it off."

Momentarily startled, he looked down at the creamy expanse of skin and saw nothing but a glistening sheen of moisture.

"Sweetheart, there's nothing there," he reassured her.

"I can feel it," she protested, "please…"

"Show me, Calleigh. Point to where you feel it."

Her hand moved to her shoulder and came to rest just at the juncture of her neck.

Almost without thinking, he leaned down and placed his lips against that particular spot and immediately knew that he was lost. Calleigh relaxed against him with a soft sigh and he greedily welcomed the pressure of her slender body against his. He dropped the washcloth to the floor and filled his hands instead with the intoxicating feel of her soft, wet skin, stroking and caressing her like he'd so often dreamed.

"Calleigh," he groaned, still trying to fight the desire and losing badly. "Calleigh, I think we need to…" He tried to continue, but then surrendered.

His lips glided in silken caresses over Calleigh's shoulder and up along the side of her neck, provoking yet another sigh of pleasure from her, the sound vibrating through his body. Turning her slowly in his arms, he looked down into her face and saw the mirror image of his own desire reflected in her beautiful green eyes. All thought of ants disappeared as he lowered his head and captured her lips in a deep, ravenous kiss. He couldn't get enough of her taste. His mouth moved over her lips, her face, her chin and down along the side of her neck and over her collar bone, then lower.

"Calleigh," he breathed her name against the satiny wet skin just above the soft swell of her breast and felt her tremble in response. When he grazed the already hardened nipple with his teeth and then laved it gently with his tongue, she couldn't help the moan of pleasure that slid from her lips.

"Horatio," she moaned his name and he returned to place quick, tiny kisses against her lips.

"Talk to me Sweetheart…"

"Love me," she whispered.

"Calleigh…"

Words became un-necessary then as he drew her closer into his arms and swept away the last possible remnants of her fear with the touch of his hands. Slowly and gently he caressed her body. His mouth followed his lips, trailing pure molten desire as he kissed and licked and mouthed his way over every inch of her creamy skin he could reach. Returning once again to her lips, he covered them with his own, and stroked in deeply with his tongue. Calleigh responded eagerly, her own quick tongue battling with his for dominance of the kiss.

Desire flared hot threatening to push him over the edge completely and clinging to one last threat of restraint, Horatio broke the kiss to look at the beauty in his arms, assuring himself that she truly wanted this before taking it any further. Her eyes were heavy lidded with passion. Her lips were glistening and parted, and slightly swollen from his kisses. Her body was pressed urgently against his and he could see her pulse throbbing wildly at the base of her throat. He groaned out her name, lifted her into his arms and wrapped her slender legs around his waist…and plunged into heaven.

For a moment he couldn't move, couldn't breath, could only bask in the mind-blowing ecstacy of being buried completely inside the soft depths of Calleigh's body. No dream he'd ever had of her compared to the reality and he almost whimpered under the intensity of sensation vibrating through his body. Instinct however, broke his pleasure-induced immobility and he slowly began to move, withdrawing almost completely and then stroking back in smoothly, deeply.

"Sweetheart, you feel so…" words failed him and he simply closed his lips over hers, communicating his pleasure in a deep, passionate kiss.

Calleigh's slender body moved in time with his, matching him stroke for stroke and sending shockwaves of pleasure radiating through both of them.

"Horatio…I'm so…so close…" she managed to moan out in spite of the fog of desire that thickened not only her thoughts but her speech as well.

Her words spurred him on and he began to thrust deeper and slightly harder then, pressing her back against the wall of the shower and pinning her between his warm body and the cool glass.

"Come for me, Sweetheart," he encouraged in a seductive voice. "Come for me…"

He watched as her movements lost their rhythm, saw her face register the impending tide of pleasure and felt the first tiny spasms deep inside her body.

"That's it, let go Calleigh. Let me have it. Come for me."

"Horatio!" She cried out his name and lost control as her orgasm crashed over her robbing her of the ability to do anything but cling to him and ride out the overwhelming waves of pleasure that surged through her body.

"You are incredible, Sweetheart," he whispered as he thrust deeply into her twice more before his own release swept through him and he moaned out her name over and over again.

For several long seconds Horatio remained in that position, holding Calleigh close to him, savoring the tiny aftershocks that bolted through his body. Then slowly he lowered her feet to the shower floor, but kept her close inside the circle of his arms.

Looking down into her face he whispered softly, "Are you okay, Sweetheart?"

A soft smile curved her lips and she nodded 'yes'. Then she chewed thoughtfully on her bottom lip for a moment and said, "I'll have to admit that's the most effective job anyone's ever done of distracting me."

Horatio laughed and snuggled her closer to his chest. "I had to do something, Sweetheart, you were completely panicked."

"Hmmm. I wonder if it would work as well if I were afraid of the dark."

"We might just have to explore that possibility," Horatio grinned, "but I think we probably need to get back to the scene. We left Frank in charge and Lord only knows what he's thinking by now."

"Poor Frank." Calleigh said, "but do we really have to go back there?"

The tone of her voice indicated the beginnings of discomfort again and Horatio made a quick decision.

"No, you don't. I'll take you to the lab and I'll go back with Frank."

**A/N I do not like the stopping point of this chapter, but had to cut it anyway. It threatened to stretch much longer than I wanted for a single chapter scene. My apologies for the abruptness of it.**

**H**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

"Where's Cal?" Frank asked when Horatio stepped out of the Hummer.

"I took her back to the lab, Frank. She…um…she had a nasty experience inside the house and it shook her quite a bit. I don't think she'd mind you knowing this. She has a deep and long standing fear of ants stemming from a childhood experience in Louisiana. The kitchen is infested with them. She accidentally stirred them up and they swarmed her…all over her, Frank. She was totally panicked. I took her home to shower and then back to the lab to do paperwork. She'll be okay, but she just wasn't up to coming back here."

"Can't say that I blame her, H." Frank said as they walked back toward the house. "Don't this place beat all you've ever seen? Probably a beautiful home if it was kept up nice, but it's gone all to pieces. No wonder the ants took up residence. They probably feel right at home here."

The two men once again made visual inspection of the home, ending up in the kitchen. The ants that had frightened Calleigh so badly had settled down into routine ant behavior, scurrying this way and that along the edges of the counter top and back toward whatever crevice had granted them entrance to the house. Frank shivered sympathetically and muttered "Poor Cal."

It was upon closer inspection of the center island that they noticed the same butcher knife that had caught Calleigh's eye. Pulling on a pair of gloves, Horatio gingerly extracted the knife from the pile of flatware that surrounded it and held it up for inspection. The blade was 8-inches long, serrated and covered with a dark, reddish brown stain.

"That looks like blood. We'd better bag it and get it to the lab." He carefully dropped the knife into an evidence envelope and sealed it. "Still no sign of a victim here in the house even though the neighbor who called it in said she could smell rotting meat."

Frank stepped to the kitchen sink and carefully moved aside the curtain, peering out into the weedy back yard.

"Did you check that outbuilding at the back of the lot, H?"

"What outbuilding? I never saw one." Horatio's voice held mild irritation that he had possibly missed a vital piece of evidence.

"That old one that's about to fall apart, way back there under that manchineel tree."

"I did not see that, Frank. Shall we?"

"Let's do it." Frank said.

The back sliding glass door opened easily and the two men stepped out into nature run riot. The grass was knee high, lush and uncut. The flowering trees were badly in need of pruning. Here and there along the edges of the yard, an ornamental shrub sprouted colorful flowers, hibiscus, azalea, and several other varieties that were quite happy to bloom undisturbed. Halfway to their objective, Frank stopped without warning and held his hand up pointing to something in the grass ahead of him.

"What have we got, Frank?"

"Looks like dried blood on the grass here, see?"

The waving grass was uniform in color except for a large swath in front of them that seemed to be discolored with a dark, reddish brown stain. Further on, the grass showed evidence of having been trampled, possibly in a struggle

Brown eyes met blue and both Frank and Horatio withdrew their weapons quietly before starting forward again at a more cautious pace.

Not wishing to disturb possible evidence, they cut a wide circle around the discolored area of grass and approached the tumble down shed at an angle, weapons at the ready. The door was slightly ajar and the padlock that had once secured it dangled from the clasp, showing clear signs of having been forced open.

Horatio nodded at Frank, then stepped to the door, and carefully edged it open with his elbow. The smell of decomp that greeted them was almost overpowering. Frank followed close behind, his own weapon ready. The beam of Horatio's flashlight pierced the dimness of the shed, searching out whatever lay hidden inside. Dust danced in the beam of light and for a moment, his eyes struggled to adjust. When they did finally compensate for the change in lighting, he could just barely discern what looked like a canvas-covered lump on the floor toward the back of the building.

"I think we've found our body." Horatio said, gritting his teeth to keep from grimacing at the foul odor emanating from under the canvas.

"Whew, I think you're right, H." Frank said as he struggled to keep from gagging.

Horatio leaned down and carefully pulled back one edge of the canvas…and revealed human remains. Maggots riddled the open wounds on the bloated face and flies swarmed about the body in an angry grey cloud. The teeth gave a macabre parody of a smile. Heat and humidity had accelerated the decomposition process and the torso was also swollen with excess fluid, some of which was seeping out to puddle on the floor, but it was not so distorted that it hid the obvious multiple stab wounds to the chest. Upon closer inspection, Horatio noticed what looked like a bullet wound just slightly below and behind the left ear.

"Okay, Frank," he said standing up and moving toward the door, " Let's call it in and get Alexx here to go over the body."

The two men gratefully stepped back out into the bright sunlight and much welcomed fresher air.

At that moment, a shot rang out and Frank cried out in agony, grabbed his chest and slumped heavily to the ground in front of Horatio, a spot of crimson blooming rapidly across his left shoulder. Immediately Horatio dropped to the ground beside his friend, weapon drawn and aimed in the direction of the fading echoes of the gunshot. He jerked his phone from his belt, keyed the button and barked into it.

"This is Lieutenant Horatio Caine, I have an officer down at 7218 S. Legend Drive! Requesting immediate backup and a bus. I repeat, Officer Down!"

Turning back to the wounded detective, Horatio took Frank's hand in his and squeezed it tightly. Franks' eyes opened slowly and he stared up at Horatio. He tried to talk but blood gurgled in his lungs and he could only gasp and cough as the thick fluid threatened to choke him.

"Frank, Frank, back up is on the way and so is the ambulance. Stay with me. Stay with me, man." Horatio's voice was tense with fear for his friend, and anger for whomever had fired the shot that felled him.

"Hora…Horraati…Horratio." Frank struggled to get the words out, his grasp on Horatio's hand weakening.

"Shh…Don't try to talk. Just hang on to my hand, Frank. They're coming. Just hang on."

Frank's desperate eyes tagged Horatio's and Frank mouthed the words _I saw it…_

"You saw it? What did you see, Frank?"

Horatio bent his head closer to Frank's lips and could barely make out the words that Frank whispered.

_The shot…came…came from…house. _Breath left Frank's lungs in a soft rush and his head fell to the side.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

_The shot came from the house…_ Horatio's brain seized on the meaning of Frank's whispered words and he quickly turned his head to peer searchingly in the direction they'd come. His blue eyes probed every possible shadowy recess and tried in vain to see beyond the stained, filmy white curtains that hung limply at the back windows of the house. Nothing moved, nothing stirred save the soft breeze that bent the tall grasses in front of him. Then he saw it. A slight flicker of motion from within the house, vague, indistinct, and so fleeting he thought for a second he'd imagined it. But no. There it was again. And this time he could just make out the faint outline of a person moving stealthily in the cover of the shadows. Lifting his phone to his lips, he spoke quietly but urgently.

"This is Lieutenant Horatio Caine. We have a possible shooter on the premises. Have all responding units approach with caution. I repeat. All responding units approach with caution."

A ragged, gurgling sound from beside him jerked his gaze back to his fallen friend and he looked down to see Frank staring up at him his eyes bright with pain.

"Hey, man. Help is coming. You hang in there." Horatio's voice was calm and soothing in spite of the coiled spring of tension that screamed through his nerves. He had no illusions about the danger they were in. At any moment, the gunman could fire off another round, and except for the tall grasses that danced and swayed around them, they were completely exposed. Desperately searching for something, anything that would afford them some type of protection until help arrived, Horatio scanned the yard and nodded to himself when his eyes settled on a medium sized Manchineel tree just a few yards to their right. It was risky, but he had to try.

"Frank. I need you to listen to me. I've got to try to move us to someplace that has more cover. We are too exposed here and the shooter is still in the house. You did see him. So did I, just a minute ago. Can you stand letting me move you toward that Manchineel tree over there?"

"Yeah…I'll try." Frank gritted his teeth against the pain radiating through his shoulder.

"Okay, Francis. I'm sorry, my friend. This will hurt like hell, but we have to move. Ready?" Horatio's voice was thick with regret for the pain he was about to cause his friend, but he steeled himself to the task. They had to get to cover. As if to emphasize the rightness of his decision, a shot rang out overhead. Horatio flung himself over the injured detective, shielding him as best he could. Without looking, he fired off a quick shot in return in the general direction of the sound and then went back to moving Frank toward safety. Quickly looping his left arm under Frank's left arm and up across his chest to grasp his right shoulder, Horatio began a steady pull, dragging the bigger man toward the shelter of the waiting tree. Frank turned white and groaned, then mercifully passed out again, the pain overcoming even his stern Texas toughness. Finally after several agonizing moments, Horatio reached the shade and shelter of the tree and gently eased the body of the unconscious detective back down on the ground.

"I'm sorry, Frank. I'm sorry." He said softly, one hand resting on Frank's shoulder. The deathly pallor of his friend's face sent a pang through his heart. "Stay with me, Francis. Stay with me."

At that moment, the welcomed sound of police and ambulance sirens split the air and Horatio was once again all business.

"MDPD…we are pinned down in the back yard. Send units toward us and watch for the shooter in the house. Again…the shooter is IN THE HOUSE."

"Copy that, Lieutenant Caine. We are moving toward you." Dispatch had never sounded better.

Once again, Horatio's keen eyes detected movement inside the house and then he heard several shots fired. Instinct brought his weapon to bear and he trained it toward the back door of the house, his finger hovering above the trigger, the safety off. The back door began to open and he almost squeezed off a shot, but his brain recognized the MDPD uniform a split second before his finger tightened on the trigger. Quickly lowering his weapon, he slipped the safety back on and called out, "Over here officer."

The young man sprinted toward Horatio as he spoke into his walkie-talkie and soon a team of paramedics appeared with a gurney and medical equipment. Horatio stood and heaved a breath out, letting some of the tension ease from his body, but not the alertness.

He stayed long enough to see that the medical personnel had stabilized Frank and prepared him for transport, then he turned and strode back toward the house. Inside, the officers were working to subdue a middle aged, scruffy looking man wearing the uniform of a professional exterminator. He was not making their job any easier. A greased eel would have been easier to handle. He twisted and squirmed and jerked his body this way and that, making it almost impossible for the officers to snap the cuffs on him. Finally one of them grew tired of the tussle and jerked the man's arms behind him, holding them painfully tight while a second officer at last closed the handcuffs over his wrists. Even though he was physically restrained, he continued protesting vocally and very loudly.

"You can't do this! What have I done? I demand to know what I've done to be arrested!" His voice was shrill and piercing.

"What you've done," came Horatio's voice, cold and hard as iron, "…what you've done is shot one of my officers. If he dies, you will be charged with homicide."

The man jerked around as best he could to confront the new voice but subsided when he looked into the steely blue gaze of Lieutenant Horatio Caine.

"He tried to get rid of this, but we caught him just as he was about to throw it out the window." One of the officers handed Horatio a small caliber handgun.

"That gun is registered. I passed all the tests, and I have a concealed weapon permit." The man grumbled more to himself than to anyone else.

"Yes, so I see," said Horatio looking through the man's ID and other papers that were lying out on the counter. "You're an exterminator?"

"Yes. I run a professional business. Ask any of my customers."

"Was Mr. Darlett one of your customers?"

A cunning look came over the man's face and he hedged before answering. "Yes, he was until he suddenly stopped paying. Breach of contract. I only came back to try to convince him that he needed to let me continue with the treatments to get rid of the ants."

"And that made you angry?" Horatio questioned.

"Of course. He owed me money. There were three months left on his contract. That was almost $1,200."

"That sounds like $1,200 worth of motive to kill him."

"Kill him? What do you mean? I didn't kill anyone."

"So you DON'T know anything about his body lying out in the shed in the back yard?" Horatio's voice continued relentlessly.

"I'm not saying any more. I want an attorney."

"You're gonna need one." Horatio growled.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

Back at the lab, Natalia took the evidence envelope from Horatio's hand and slit open the top. He had made it very clear that he needed the results on the weapon ASAP, and so she put her other work aside and concentrated on the 8- inch butcher knife that slid into view. The blade was covered with a brownish stain over most of its length, as was the wooden handle. The metal brads that held the knife together were sticky with a thick coating of what appeared to be the same substance that discolored the wood.

"Just eyeballing it, I'd say we have blood, Horatio. We'll know for sure in a few minutes," Nat said as she carefully swabbed the blade and then the handle and set the samples aside and prepared them for testing.

"I appreciate the rush on this, Nat." Horatio said, conscious that he was hovering, but not caring in the least. His friend lay in the ER of Miami General and he was determined to get to the bottom of the shooting as well as the murder of their victim who was yet to be positively identified.

"No problem, but…" she stopped, unsure of how he would take the gentle admonition she wanted to give him.

"But what?" Horatio's eyes bored into hers like lasers, pinning her in place with sheer force of his iron will.

"You won't get the results any faster, pacing like that." Nat said softly. She looked at her boss sympathetically and gave him a tiny smile.

Horatio heaved a weary sigh and forced himself to stop walking back and forth. "I'm sorry, Natalia. I'll go check in with Alexx and see how she's coming with the body. Keep me posted on the results, okay?"

"You got it, H."

Horatio turned and left Natalia, making his way toward the morgue and Alexx's domain. Halfway there he stopped, retraced most of his steps and found himself standing outside the door to Calleigh's gun lab. _Now is NOT the time, Caine!,_ he scolded himself. _I'm just checking to see if she's okay now,_ he reasoned with himself. _Right…you are. Got it bad don't you, Lieutenant? _"Enough!" he growled under his breath, regretting the momentary lapse in judgment that had brought him back to her. _You're here, might as well 'check' on her._

Forcing down the chaotic feelings and memories that battled for possession of his mind, Horatio raised a hand and rapped his knuckles against the doorframe.

"Knock, knock, knock." He said softly, and was rewarded with an instant response from the knockout blonde. Her smile caught at his breath and he felt like he'd been gut punched.

"Hello, Handsome." Her voice was husky, warm and welcoming, far from her normal professional tone, and Horatio felt heat stir deep in his body, and knew he'd made a grave mistake in coming to see her.

"I…um…just wanted to…um…yeah…" He stopped, gathered his scattered composure and tried again. "How are you doing, Cal?" It came as a distinct surprise to him when he found himself standing next to her, looking down into sea green eyes that were gazing back at him with the same turbulent emotions he was fighting so unsuccessfully. When had he taken the five or six steps toward her? He didn't know and that fact only added to the delicious sense of bewilderment he was feeling. These were dangerous waters he was treading.

"I'm okay now. Just…" For a moment she dropped her eyes and then tagged him again with that seductive gaze, her face rosy with surging pink.

"Just what?" Horatio prompted quietly, suddenly desperate to prolong the contact with her.

"I've been thinking…about…about that shower," she finished a bit breathlessly.

Horatio groaned, threw caution to the winds and pulled her into his arms, holding her tightly to his chest. He nuzzled the top of her head with his chin and placed tiny kisses against her soft hair, desperately wishing he could take the liberty of kissing those beckoning lips that tempted him so, but knowing the glass walls granted them no privacy for such activities.

"Calleigh, Calleigh," he breathed, his hands loosening their hold just slightly, allowing him to run them over her back and shoulders in a restrained caress. "I've been reliving that too. Can't get it out of my mind." Pulling back, he looked down into her face and caught his breath yet again at the blatant desire he saw painted across Calleigh's face.

"You're having dinner with me tonight." He said almost roughly, his hold on her tightening with his death grip on his fading control. Much more of the look in her eyes and the desire in her voice and he'd take her on top of her lab table and the others could go jump in the glades.

"Yes…" was all Calleigh could manage. She could feel his struggle to maintain workplace decorum and was thrilled to know that he was as flustered as she was.

Forcing himself to let go of her and step back, Horatio cleared his throat and straightened his jacket un-necessarily. "I'll meet you at six. Is that okay?"

"Yes. Six o'clock. I'll be ready." Calleigh's heart felt like it would burst from her ribcage.

"Okay…" he started to say something else, but then stopped at the tiny moan that escaped from Calleigh's lips.

"Protocol be damned," he muttered as he hauled her back into his arms and kissed her soundly then set her back away a safe distance before the kiss could explode out of control.

"Six o'clock, Cal." He repeated and then was gone.

Calleigh stood there for a moment, her heart racing, her breath coming in shallow gasps. Her body still trembled at the contact with his hard warm chest and she ran a shaky finger over her lips. She closed her eyes for a moment and forced herself to bring her focus back to the matter at hand. A deep breath slowed the galloping of her heart and steadied her breathing. She mentally recited the names and serial numbers of every gun she owned until she felt calm enough to return to her interrupted work.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

When Horatio walked through the doors of the autopsy theater, Alexx was busy washing and examining the body of the victim he and Frank had discovered in the outbuilding behind Mr. Darlett's home.

"Do we have a COD, Alexx?" he questioned quietly, knowing that to distract her too much would delay the results he was so anxious to read on their stabbing/gunshot victim.

"We do. Poor man was shot first and then stabbed multiple times. Sixteen times in the torso, and five times to the face."

"Sixteen times. That's a lot of anger unleashed on one body. Sounds like it was personal."

"Yeah. You don't just stab a random stranger sixteen times." Alexx continued her examination, talking all the while.

"Look, Horatio. See this stab wound?" She pointed with one gloved hand to a gaping hole between the third and fourth ribs toward the center of the chest. "There's your COD. The weapon punctured his lung and nicked the aorta as well. This poor man bled out into his lung, drowned in his own blood. Poor baby. What an awful way to go."

"What about the gunshot wound, Alexx? Did you recover the round?"

Alexx, smiled her gentle smile and turned to the table behind her. Picking up a small glass container, she handed it to Horatio. "Is this what you came down here for?"

A mangled round lay inside and Horatio smiled and nodded.

"Indeed, it is, Ma'am." I'll get it to Calleigh so she can start the tests on the gun we recovered at the scene. Thanks, Alexx. Good work."

Alexx smirked as he turned to leave. He was, it seemed, in quite a hurry to get to the gun lab. "Aren't you forgetting something, Horatio?" Alexx called out just as his hand closed on the handle of the door to open it.

Horatio spun back around, his eyes flinging a question across the room at his ME.

"Don't you want the toxicology report?"

It had been years since Alexx had seen the inimitable Horatio Caine as flustered and scatterbrained as she was seeing him now.

A wave of crimson suffused his face and he coughed into his hand before returning to Alexx's side and taking the proffered report from her.

Brown eyes twinkled at him and he blushed a deeper red. "In a hurry to get to Calleigh, eh, Horatio?" Alexx questioned in a gentle teasing tone.

"Alexx…" he growled out as stern a warning as he could manage, all the while knowing that of all the people on his team, Alexx was the one who could see through him the easiest.

"Now, baby you know I won't tell a soul. And anyway, it's about time you two had someone to care for. Lord knows you both have had your fair share of disappointment the last few years."

"Alexx…" he began again, but stopped at the look on his ME's face. "Alexx, sometimes you see too much."

"It's my job, honey." She smiled at him and chuckled, patting him on the arm.

"Yes, well…you're very good at it."

Seeking to change the topic of conversation to a less personal one, he quickly skimmed over the report he held and his eyes narrowed when they fell on one particular chemical.

"Alexx. Alexx, what is this chemical compound and where was it located on the body?"

"It was on the hands, Horatio. As for what it is? I don't know. You'll have to get Natalia to do her magic on it if you want to know what it is."

"I'm on my way there now." Horatio opened the doors and stepped out into the hall.

"Right, you are," Alexx laughed as he disappeared from sight.

She shook her head and smiled, then went back to work on the body lying on her table.

Horatio steps lengthened as he neared Natalia's lab. The mysterious substance on the victim's hands fell squarely in her field of expertise. If anyone could tell him quickly what it was, Natalia could.

Natalia looked up when the door swung open and admitted Horatio.

"Hey. Talk about perfect timing, I was just about to call you with the results on the knife. We do have blood…from two doners. And we have traces of Prallethrin."

"Hmmm. Prallethrin…that sounds like… Let me see that report."

"Here you go." Natalia handed him the sheaf of papers and began stripping her gloves off.

Blue eyes scanned the papers and then stopped on the description of the substance Prallethrin. Quickly, Horatio opened the file he had just received from Alexx and compared the toxicology report with the analysis Natalia had given him."

"Look at this. The same substance is on our victim's hands. The pieces are starting **to** fall into place, Natalia. I only need one more bit of information. Can you find out for me what uses are indicated for Prallethrin?"

"Sure. Give me a minute to feed it into the computer and I'll let you know."

Natalia typed the information into her computer, clicked several times with the mouse, and then reached for the paper that slowly fed out of the printer.

"It seems to be the primary ingredient in household ant killer. Does that help?"

"You have no idea. It all comes back to the ants." Horatio said mysteriously. "Thanks, Nat. I need to go talk to our suspect."

Natalia watched as Horatio strode out of her lab, shoulders squared and his head held high. _I sure wouldn't want to be that suspect right now, _she thought to herself grimly.

**A/N Sorry for the brevity of this chapter, but there are terrific storms in the area today and I had to shut down my laptop for fear of losing it in a power surge. There will be more, much more, but not this morning. **

**Cal my love, you should see the lightning. Beautiful and deadly.**

**H**


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

The suspect was seated quietly at the table in interrogation when Horatio opened the doors and stalked in, a menacing scowl on his face. With no preamble or prelude he began.

"Mr. Royce Carstairs…Exterminator extraordinaire. " Sliding the toxicology report across the glossy surface of the table, he glared at Carstairs and hissed, "Tell me about Prallethrin, Mr. Carstairs."

Not expecting this line of questioning, Carstairs was taken completely aback. "Well…ahh…it's a common component of household grade insecticide. Why?"

"Why don't you tell me?" Horatio purred.

"I really don't know what you're talking about." Carstairs said.

"Then let me tell you what I'm thinking." Horatio leaned down across the table and looked the suspect directly in the eyes.

"I think…I think that somehow this Prallethrin figures into the murder of Mr. Darlett."

"You think I murdered him with Prallethrin?" Carstairs laughed. "Come on, Lieutenant. That makes no sense."

"Then you better start making it make sense," Horatio growled.

Again Horatio changed tactics swiftly and slid a second photo across the table at Carstairs. This one was of the blood-stained butcher knife. He watched closely as a look of fear flitted over the man's face but quickly disappeared.

"Recognize that, Mr. Carstairs?"

"Ah…no. Should I?" he bluffed.

A soft, lethal chuckle came from Horatio's throat and he allowed the ghost of a smile to hover about his lips momentarily.

"Not only did we find Mr. Darlett's blood on this knife, we found traces of Prallethrin… and…" here he leaned close to Carstairs and whispered, "….we found your blood, Mr. Carstairs. Your blood, your prints, Prallethrin…" Horatio straightened up and put both hands on his hips and tilted his head to the side. "So…You want to try again?"

Carstairs opened his mouth to speak and then snapped it shut again, looking for all the world like a fish out of water.

Horatio continued, his voice hammering at the suspect, "We also found traces of Prallethrin on Mr. Darlett's hands during the autopsy."

When Carstair's still said nothing, Horatio growled, "I'll ask you one more time, Mr. Carstairs. Are you sure you don't want to change your story?"

Carstairs heaved a sigh and ducked his head for a moment. He clenched his teeth and then looked back up at Horatio.

"Okay…okay. I'll talk."

"I'm listening."

"Darlett caught me swapping out the professional grade Pyrethrin for the Prallethrin which is not nearly as strong. The weaker treatment meant that I had to keep going back to treat the ants which meant…"

"More money for you," Horatio interjected.

"Yes," Carstairs nodded. "More money for me. How was I supposed to know he had been a chemistry professor in Colorado before he moved here? He figured out pretty easy that I was cheating him and he threatened to go to the Better Business Bureau and expose me for the fraud."

"And you couldn't let that happen." Horatio stated matter of factly.

"No, I couldn't let that happen. He would have ruined everything; my job, my marriage, my entire life…so I went back to talk to him. I never intended to kill him just scare him, but when I went to the house that day, he picked up the knife and threatened me…threatened to tell everyone what I was doing, threatened to sue me… and I just snapped. I jerked the knife out of his hand…that's when I cut myself…and I forced him out into the back yard. I swear Lieutenant I only meant to scare him, but he lunged at me and I swung the knife. I don't know how many times I stabbed him, I just knew when the haze of anger lifted that I had killed him and I had to get away from the scene."

"Why the head shot, if he was already dead?" Horatio questioned.

"I'm not really sure. I was acting on pure adrenaline and I honestly don't know why I shot him."

"Well that explains Mr. Darlett. But it doesn't explain why you came back to the scene after he was already dead and had been for so long."

Carstairs gave a snort of self derisive laughter and smiled wryly.

"You won't believe me if I tell you, Lieutenant."

"Try me."

"I went back to finish the job correctly. I am a good exterminator, believe it or not, and I wanted to get rid of the ants for my own personal satisfaction. Sort of a job well done, just to prove to myself that I could do it. I never expected for you and the other officer to be there. I panicked and fired off those shots to scare you away. You gotta believe me, I didn't even aim. I just fired and then I realized I had hit one of you."

"Yes, well…you'd better hope my officer doesn't die. You don't want that added to your already-impressive list of crimes in this case."

"Please tell him, I'm sorry. I really hope he's okay."

Horatio nodded to the MDPD officer who had stood silently at the back of the interrogation room. "Officer, take him."

The rest of the day was spent filling out paperwork after Carstair's confession to the murder of Darlett and the shooting of Frank Tripp. Finally Horatio put down his pen after signing the last report and heaved a sigh of relief. It was not often that a case fell into place as easily as this one had, but it was a welcomed treat when it did. He ran a hand through his hair and swept back the one stubborn lock that kept falling down over his right eye, then he leaned back in his chair, stretching back muscles that had cramped in protest from sitting in a single position for too long. He was just reaching for his coffee cup to drain the last tepid drops when his phone rang.

"Caine."

"Lieutenant Caine, this is Caroline Sherwin at Miami General. I have an officer Frank Tripp who is asking for you. Is there any way you could stop by for a moment or two? He's very agitated and to be truthful, he's being very uncooperative at the moment."

Horatio chuckled into the phone at the thought of Frank harassing the nursing staff. Apparently the big detective was out of the most immediate danger and feeling well enough to cause problems.

"I'll be there in a bit. Tell him I said to cool off."

"Thank you, Lieutenant Caine."

Horatio snapped his phone shut, stepped out of his office and closed and locked the door behind him.

_First a visit to the hospital to calm down Frank, and then…_a fine tremor of anticipation ran through him at the thought of the possibilities for the rest of the evening…_and then, dinner with Calleigh._

The first real smile he'd had all day spread over his face as he walked down the hall and headed for the elevators.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

When the charge nurse buzzed him through to the ICU area, Horatio could hear the sound of Frank's voice above the quiet sounds of the unit. He grinned to himself and then set his face with his best stern expression before stepping into Frank's room.

"What is this I hear that you are giving the staff a hard time, Francis?"

Frank peered around the nurse who was taking his temperature and exclaimed, "Horatio, thank god you're here. Will you tell these people that this is just a flesh wound and I don't need to be babied?"

"I will do no such thing, my friend. You lost a good deal of blood, it partially collapsed your lung and it IS a big deal. A little babying, as you call it, won't hurt anything but your Texas sized pride." Horatio stood there, hands on hips, looking pointedly down at the injured, but still feisty detective. "Seriously, Frank. I need you back as soon as possible and that won't happen if you get up too soon. Just relax and let these people take care of you. You're in the best of hands. I've seen to that. And besides, Alexx will be up in just a bit to check on you herself."

Frank harrumphed a bit and glowered at Horatio but conceded to the redhead's wisdom. "Okay. I guess you're right. But it irks me to have to lay here in this bed and let them poke and prod and lift up this damned flimsy excuse for a gown. A gown, Horatio! I've never worn a gown in my life. It's humiliating…and…" Frank looked shocked when Horatio began to laugh.

"What the hell is so funny? Why are you laughing, Horatio? I'm shot, flat on my back for who knows how long, having to wear a gown, and you're laughing?"

Horatio looked at Frank and laughed again before composing himself somewhat. "Oh, my friend, you are a piece of work. That bullet did nothing to hinder your temper did it?" he asked, teasing the big Texan with a good natured grin. His smile was short lived, however and he fixed Frank with a look that was clearly a warning.

Just at that moment the doctor came in and sized up the situation. "I see you're still being hard to deal with, Officer Tripp."

"You won't have to worry about that now, Sir." Horatio said, only partly softening his stern glance at Frank. "You have my word that Frank Tripp will be absolutely cooperative with you and everyone else on this staff, or I'll bust him back down to uniform."

"Horatio, Caine! You'll do no such thing…I'll have you know…" Frank spluttered as Horatio shook hands with the doctor and turned to leave the room.

"You'll have me know, what? You aren't going anywhere soon, my friend, so you might as well quit being so stubborn and do what you're told. You'll get out of here sooner if you do."

"He's right, you know," the doctor said, agreeing with Horatio. "If you keep insisting on doing things I've warned you not to do, you'll extend your stay with us."

"Well, now we wouldn't want that, would we?" Frank snapped.

"Francis…" Horatio's tone was unmistakable and Frank lapsed into silence, subdued by the steel in the voice of his friend.

"Thank you, Lieutenant. I appreciate your stopping by," the doctor said with a smile.

"No problem, doctor. Call me if you need anything else."

To Frank, he said, "I'll be back to check on you again in the morning. Try to get some rest. You need it more than you know."

"Yeah. Later, man. Tell Cal I said hello."

"Will do, Frank. You hang in there."

Halfway home, Horatio turned his car into the parking lot of one of Miami's finest jewelers. It was a quiet, un-ostentatious establishment that he'd visited many times before. The owner was a friend whom Horatio had helped when an armed heist had almost taken the man's life and threatened to cost him his business as well.

He was visiting on a sudden impulse, one he hoped wouldn't prove to be in vain.

"Horatio, my dear friend, it is pleasant to see you once again!" Makarios greeted Horatio with a firm handshake and a warm hug.

"Likewise, Makarios." Horatio's smile was open and genuine.

"How can I help the man who saved my life? Nothing is too good for you, Horatio. Nothing."

"You give me too much credit, my friend. But you can help me."

"Anything. Name it and it's yours."

"I recall once seeing a stunning pendant of amber, and I believe it had an insect of some kind in it…"

"Ah, yes…I still have it and it does indeed have a perfectly preserved ant inside. Quite a beautiful piece of jewelry. Come I will show it to you." Makarios bustled toward the special case in the middle of the store and proudly opened the glass and retrieved the pendant. It was strung on a solid gold chain and had a pair of matching earrings. Light from the overhead mini spot light refracted through the pendant and shot out tiny beams of golden light that shimmered and danced in the air.

"It is beautiful…" Makarios said with a knowing smile, "but not as beautiful as the lady you are buying it for eh, my friend?"

Horatio blushed and then nodded. "She is indeed beautiful, Makarios, the most beautiful thing in my life."

"Ah…then this is love."

For a moment, Horatio looked like a fish out of water and would have stammered his way through an explanation, but Makarios stopped him.

"No need to explain, my friend. I understand. Sometimes the love, it hits you out of nowhere and you wonder why you didn't see it before. I am right, yes?"

The certainty of the words washed over Horatio's soul and he knew without a doubt that he did indeed love Calleigh Duquesne.

"Yes," he said simply. Nothing else was necessary as the two men looked at each other.

Carefully, Makarios lifted the rest of the amber set from the display case and carried it to the back of the store where he disappeared for a moment. When he came back to the front of the store, he had a beautiful blue velvet case in his hands. Smiling, he handed it to Horatio.

"How much?" Horatio asked, not really caring about the price.

"Nothing, my friend. The look in your eyes when you talked about her is payment enough."

"I can't do that. This set is far too valuable." Horatio protested.

"For me, Horatio," Makarios said, placing his hand on Horatio's shoulder and looking deep into the blue eyes. "Knowing that you have found love and knowing that she will be happy…truly, I seek no other payment than this. Please, take it with my blessings."

"I don't know what to say," Horatio said, for once honestly at a loss for words.

Makarios winked at him. "The usual answer is 'thank you' " he said, not unkindly.

"Thank you, my friend. Someday I will…"

Makarios waved his words away with a gesture of his hand. "Someday you will bring this lovely lady to meet me and all will be equal."

"Indeed, I will."

The two men embraced once more and Horatio left the store with his heart fluttering inside his chest like a thousand butterflies. _I love her,_ he though to himself as he settled into the driver seat and started the car. _I love Calleigh Duquesne. _His smile would have brightened the darkest alley in the heart of downtown Miami.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

Horatio stood back from the table and surveyed the results of his labor. The linen table cloth was spotless and lay smoothly without a single wrinkle. The silverware and china sparkled in the shimmering candlelight. A fragrant bouquet of roses stood in a crystal vase in the center of the ensemble and in the middle of Calleigh's plate rested the velvet jewelry box containing the ant in amber necklace and earrings. The scene was perfect. It only lacked Calleigh to complete it. A satisfied smile curved Horatio's lips and he nodded absently, pleased with the romantic atmosphere he'd created.

Deliberately he pushed aside all other thoughts from the day and concentrated on the thought of an entire evening with Calleigh. His smile deepened and he shivered a bit at the thrill that ran through his body. _Calleigh._ He had only to say her name and was affected mightily.

The ringing of the doorbell sent his entire nervous system into a frenzy, sending his heart into a close race with his breathing, both of them quickening with the knowledge that she was finally here.

Horatio made his way to the door, forcing himself not to jerk it open and haul her into his arms and kiss her until she couldn't see straight. Giddy pleasure assailed him and he had to take several deep breaths before he could steady himself enough to calmly grasp the doorknob and open the door for her. _So this is what true love feels like, _he thought, even as his eyes made an appreciative circuit from the top of Calleigh's blonde head to the soles of her tiny feet.

She was stunning. A knee-length green sheath of a dress hugged her gorgeous body, subtly revealing as much as it covered. Her silken hair was corralled by a single, glittering silver clasp, from which one rebellious tendril had escaped and lay softly against her neck. Silver sandals adorned her tiny feet, and a matching silver clutch purse was snuggly cradled in her right hand. Tiny green earrings, and a matching necklace completed her look.

Horatio was dazzled by the lovely vision in front of him, dazzled so that he forgot to speak, forgot to think, forgot even to breathe.

"Are we having dinner on the threshold, Horatio?" Calleigh teased gently.

"Calleigh…ah…um…Come in. You look…" He stopped speaking, hearing how badly he was stammering and forced himself to take a deep breath. "You look lovely, Sweetheart. Please. Come in."

"You look very handsome yourself, Horatio," Calleigh said as she handed him her wrap to place in the hall closet.

Horatio had dressed in semi-casual clothes; black slacks and a silk, button down shirt that exactly matched the blue of his eyes.

"Calleigh, I…"

Dinner almost became collateral damage when Calleigh unconsciously ran the tip of her tongue over her lips to wet them.

Horatio's eyes greedily captured that seductive movement and he relinquished control in favor of tasting those temping lips. He groaned and reached out, settling his hands on her bare shoulders and pulled her into his arms. His mouth descended on hers hungrily.

Calleigh sighed into the kiss and melted against him, her soft curves mating perfectly with the lean, hardness of his chest and torso. Her hands found their way up along his chest and around his neck, pulling him closer to her. Desire ran rampant through her veins at the warmth that radiated from his body.

Horatio felt her unfettered response and gathered her even closer. His hands made restless forays over her back and shoulders, sending delicious shivers of pleasure skittering over her skin. His mouth left hers then and traveled down the side of her neck, leaving soft, warm kisses in its wake. Only the thin strap of her dress halted his sensual oral exploration and he growled in frustration and lifted his head for a moment.

Calleigh whimpered at the loss of contact, until he reached and closed his hand over her shoulder and slowly slid the strap down her arm. The top part of the emerald material fell lower, revealing the tantalizing swell of her breast to his adoring eyes.

"Calleigh…you are so very beautiful…" he whispered against her skin.

Calleigh moaned and slid her hands through the thick softness of his hair, holding his head close to her breast and encouraging him to continue his loving assault on her senses.

He did not disappoint. Kissing and licking his way downward, he nuzzled the material farther down until the lace of her bra was exposed to his mouth. Teething lightly, he teased at the already hardened nipple through the black lace, drawing a gasp of pleasure from Calleigh's lips.

"Oh…yes, Horatio…" she was swimming in sensation, awash in need.

"Calleigh what you do to me," he groaned kissing his way across her chest to lower the other dress strap and give the other breast equal attention.

The seductive slide of his tongue and lips against her flushed skin made her weak at the knees and she would have fallen had Horatio not pressed his body close to hers and gently backed her against the wall.

Just when it seemed all control was lost, a harsh sound from the kitchen ripped through their torrid embrace. Sanity intruded quite abruptly and Horatio drew back and caught his breath at just how far they'd gone in the few minutes since Calleigh had walked in the door. Her lips were swollen from their passionate kissing. His shirt was halfway unbuttoned, compliments of Calleigh's eager fingers. His hair was mussed and stood in rakish disarray atop his head. Calleigh's dress was draped around her waist, the straps hanging limply at her sides. They were a mess.

The sound issued forth from the kitchen again and finally Horatio recognized it as the timer on the oven, announcing that the bread he'd been warming for their dinner was ready. A chagrinned smile spread over his face and he looked down into Calleigh's starry eyes.

"I don't know whether to be angry at that timer, or thankful that it slowed us down."

He kissed her sweetly and then pulled her away from the wall and helped her straighten her dress. He slowly slid the straps back up her arms and onto her shoulders, caressing her soft skin as he did so. A tiny smear of lipstick marred the perfection of her smile and he withdrew a crisp, white handkerchief from his pocket and dabbed away the smudge. Not to be left out of the action, Calleigh reached and finger combed his fiery locks back down into their usual smoothness, smiling as he closed his eyes and savored the feel of her hands running softly through his hair.

"I think…" he murmured quietly, "…I think we need to eat dinner Sweetheart before we get distracted again. Cold lobster is not my favorite dish."

"Hmmm, I would argue with you, Handsome, but you're right on this one. But be warned, I intend to have you for dessert."

"Calleigh!" Horatio spluttered

She laughed and kissed him again and then stepped back. "Now show me the way to the table, Horatio. I'm starving."


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

When Calleigh sat down at her place at the table, her eyes widened in surprise as she saw the beautiful jeweler's box that rested on her place setting.

"Horatio…wha…" she found herself speechless with wonder and anticipation.

"Open it," he encouraged her, anxious to see the look on her face.

Trembling fingers picked up the box and gently touched the silver clasp. The lid sprang open and revealed the contents. Calleigh's soft exclamation trembled in the air between them, the only sound she was able to make when she saw what lay inside nestled on the black satin.

"Horatio, it's stunning. So beautiful…what…why…" again words failed her and she fell silent.

Horatio found he was unprepared for the rush of pleasure that swept through him at her breathless wonder over his present. Smiling softly, he took the box from her fingers and lifted the necklace from its satin resting place. He undid the tiny clasp and looked down into Calleigh's eyes.

"May I?" he murmured.

"Yes, oh yes, Horatio."

Taking the liberty of unrestricted touch, he stepped behind her place and swept aside the softness of her hair, exposing her luscious neck to his hungry gaze. Sweet soft skin beckoned to him and once again he acquiesced to his desire. He stooped and placed a warm, enchanting kiss at the nape of her neck before attending to his true purpose. Carefully he slid the necklace around her neck and closed the clasp. The pendant came to rest just above the shadowy cleft between her breasts, a sight that caught at his breath. His imagination painted a vivid picture of Calleigh straddling him, her soft warm depths enclosing him, her body young and firm and clothed in nothing more than the necklace.

"Calleigh, I…" he captured her chin in his hand and lifted her face up to look in her eyes. His heart tore up roots and took residence in his own eyes, almost blinding her with the love she saw radiating from the blue depths.

"I love you, Calleigh." He said. "I love you so."

"And I love you, Horatio…" Her lips met his in a soft kiss, completely capturing what she hadn't already conquered of his heart.

The kiss lingered until Calleigh pulled back slowly by degrees and nuzzled her forehead against his.

"Who would have thought?" she whispered softly. "I absolutely hate ants and yet thanks to them I am happier than I've ever been in my life."

She took his face in her hands and looked at him tenderly. "I love you, Horatio Caine."

"Calleigh…Calleigh…"

Before the moment could become any more heated, Horatio's stomach grumbled, very effectively cooling their passion. For a moment, neither of them moved or spoke and then Calleigh laughed, a soft silvery sound filled with joy.

"Let's eat, Horatio. We can have dessert later."

"Yes, Ma'am," he said, smiling at her.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Later that night…

Calleigh moved above Horatio, a graceful lovely goddess, straddling his body and pinning him to the bed. "Time for dessert," she whispered and lowered herself onto his hard, throbbing manhood.

Horatio groaned at the sudden heat surrounding him and reached for her, grasping her hips and pulling her further down onto him. "Calleigh…oh god…"

She pulled back almost completely from him and suddenly impaled herself again, taking him deeply into her giving body. Involuntarily his hips bucked upward in a hard thrust, filling and stretching her, and sending pleasure jolting through her body. He visually devoured the sight of her gorgeous body moving in sensuous motion above him, dressed in only the necklace he'd given her.

Timeless rhythm took over then and they both rode the irresistible flow of pleasure and passion that swept over them, joining their hearts as surely as their bodies.

Afterwards, nestled securely in Horatio's strong arms, Calleigh gave a happy sigh. She lifted the pendant to look at it and smiled at the tiny ant captured for all eternity in the sparkling piece of amber.

"You know having this around my neck might cause flashbacks, Handsome," she mused as she turned the pendant this way and that in the soft light of Horatio's bedroom.

In a heartbeat, she found herself lying beneath him, his warm body stretched out above her and his lips teasing hers. "Yes, well…if that happens, I have a way of distracting you, Sweetheart."

"Oh yeah?" she sassed prettily. "Show me."

"My pleasure, Ma'am." And he captured her lips in a deep kiss…

**FIN**

**I APOLOGIZE FOR THE BREVITY OF THIS CHAPTER, BUT IT FELT RIGHT TO END IT HERE. THANKS TO ALL THE READERS WHO FOLLOWED IT THROUGH WITH ME. YOUR REVIEWS AND COMMENTS ARE PRECIOUS TO ME AND I THANK YOU FOR EVERY ONE OF THEM.**

**H**


	12. Chapter 12

**A Fond Farewell**

On October 11, 2009 I ventured to post my first story on the fanfiction boards, never expecting to have the kind of response I received. Now 14 months, 50 stories, and a whole host of new friends later, I am reluctantly and with somewhat of a heavy heart, laying down my pen. When I first started writing, I was driven by passion, by zest and by enjoyment of crafting stories centered around the characters from one of CBS's best dramas to date. Now I find that the writing comes as a result of pressure; internal pressure to perform, to produce. The pleasure of writing has been replaced with a sense of "I have to do this". In my 53 years of living, I have discovered that when the joy turns into a sense of duty, then it's time to step away.

To my loyal readers, please know that your reviews and responses, PM's and emails have been an immense source of satisfaction and pride, and my retirement, so to speak, is in no way reflective on you. You have ALL been gracious and accepting of me, and for that I am profoundly grateful. But we must all do what we feel is right, and for me, now is the time to lay down the pen and let another take up the stories of our favorite duo.

I will most certainly still read and review and will keep in touch with those of you whom I've come to count as friends.

**Speed**, you just keep writing. You are an excellent author. Never let anyone tell you otherwise.

**AIP,** I have so enjoyed our conversations. Please know that I will always answer even if I'm not writing anymore.

**Amethyst**, my continued best wishes. Hope the stories keep cheering you for a long time. Please keep in touch.

**Lawdog**, my dear, dear friend. What can I say about you? You've been a constant source of encouragement and ideas. I look forward to a continued friendship. Send some snow my way, will you? Wink.

**Athena**, you fickle, frustrating and wonderful muse…you've prodded me, you've driven me, you've inspired me, and you've created some wonderful stories. Who knows? Someday I may call on your services again. Until then, enjoy your rest.

**Cal,** my love, my very dearest friend. Words would fail me, and tears would blind me, so I simply say…I love you so very much.

And now dear readers, I leave you with one final posting…the last chapter of "Ants!"

I am profoundly sorry that three of the stories remain unfinished. Perhaps some of you can take up the mantel…

Always remember, "At CSI Miami…we never close."

I bid you a fond farewell.

Lieutenant Caine


End file.
